Manually operable trimming tool



Oct. 4, 1966 M. A. BRUCKER 3,276,119

MANUALLY OPERABLE TRIMMING TOOL Filed March 8, 1965 1 VB TOR.

A TTORNEY United States Patent M 3,276,119 MANUALLY OPERABLE TRIMMING TOOL Michael A. Brucker, Everett, Wash., assignor t0 Brucksoe Industries, Inc., Snohomish, Wash. Filed Mar. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 437,885 1 Claim. (Cl. 30-289) This invention relates to a manually operable trimming tool for cutting an edge of linoleum and similar sheet materials and, particularly, to a trimming tool adapted to be guided by a blind or hidden guiding edge of a lower layer to cut an overlying layer of linoleum and the like in such manner that when the guiding edge and the cut edge are brought together in the same plane a tight and matching joint will result.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a trimming tool which is simple in construction; is rugged; is easy to use without the operator possessing a high degree of skill yet will produce accurate results; may have adjustable features incorporated therein to accommodate the varying conditions and desirable cuts; and which when used will provide a smooth, snug fit between the edge of a subadjacent layer of linoleum and like sheet material and an overlying similar layer to be cut and matched thereto.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cutter which includes a base plate provided with guiding means to engage along an edge of a linoleum layer to which another layer is to be abutted and which is operable irrespective of whether the arrangement of the underlying and overlying layers is such that the guiding edge is to the right or to the left.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent during the course of the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention with portions shown in phantom since the trimming tool is in position for a typical use;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the cutting end of the tool of FIGURE 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the trimming tool;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side view showing the trimming tool in position for use where the overlapping relation of the lower guiding layer and the layer to be cut disposes the guiding edge to the left; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective of an alternate form of a guiding base blade.

In FIGURE 1, the trimming tool is shown to comprise a base block which is an elongated body member having a lower guiding surface 12 near one end and an under-cut portion 14 at the other end generally overlying, in upward spaced relation, the plane of the surface 12. The forward end 16 of body 10 has an upright parallel edged groove 18 in which is mounted the clamp block 20, the same being secured by screw 22 threadedly engaged in the end 16 of block 10. Cutter blade 24 is disposed between clamp block 20 and the bottom of groove 16 and has a slot 26 permitting the blade cutting edge 24 to be adjusted vertically.

As can best be seen in FIGURE 3, the body 10 at that end opposite the location of cutter 24 has a longitudinal groove 30 which, in effect, divides the lower guiding surface 12 into two spaced apart portions. Feeler blade 32 has an end 34 which is fitted to the groove 30. Elongated slots 36 receive the shanks of screws 38 which, when tightened down, secure blade 32 in an adjusted position. Feeler blade 32 is thus secured in cantilevered relation to the underside of body 10 at 14. Its free end 33-,

3,Z76,l l9 Patented Oct. 4, 1966 generally underlying the cutting edge 24, is provided with a pair of spaced apart depending guide pins 40, 40 which are preferably cylindrical. It is most desirable that blade 32 be resilient or springy so that it may be flexed toward and away from the cutting edge 24. Normally the cutting blade 24 will be secured in groove 18 so that its lowermost edge, when blade 32 is not flexed, is spaced therefrom slightly more than the thickness of layer of material to be cut.

In FIGURE 1 the blade 24 is disposed in aplane defined by the rear guiding surfaces of pins 40. When those pin guiding surfaces are juxtaposed to the free edge 41 of the lower sheet 50, edge 41 will serve as the guide for the trimming tool. The overlying layer 52 to be cut is disposed on the upper surface of blade 32 and beneath knife 24. When the operator has determined that the relationship of the sheets 50, 52 is appropriate for his purposes he bears down on the body 10 causing the cutter 24 to incise layer 52. By moving tthe trimming tool with pins 40, 40 leading and following tthe cutter 24, as guided by the edge 41 of layer 50, he produces a matched cut in layer 52 which will snugly fit with the edge 41 of layer 50.

The configuration of FIGURE 4 illustrates another condition that may be encountered. The layers are in reversed condition to that illustrated in FIGURE 1. The lower layer and its free edge 55 exposed to the right is employed as the guide. Upper layer 56 is the member being cut and intrudes into the space beneath the uncut 14 of body 10. In such situation it 'will be noted that the tool has been adjusted so that the guide pins 40 are moved to the right in FIGURE 4 to such an extent that their outer surfaces become the guiding means. In FIGURE 4 the guiding surfaces of pins 40 lie in the plane of knife 24 and the out being made will snugly match edge 55. The material cut will be a strip useful for a detail or bordering line in the flooring.

In FIGURE 5 is illustrated a base blade 60 having but a single guide pin 62. End 34 of blade 60 has the described slots 36, 36 for securing it to body 10. When blade 60 is installed in the bottom side of body 10, pin 62 will be aligned with the axis of cutter 24 with either its forward or rearward surface adjusted to coincide with the cutting plane. Blade 60 with its single guide pin 62 is useful by the more skilled operators and is particularly useful when curved cuts of relative short radii are to be made. Without intending in any way to limit this invention, in a practical prototype the body 10 was five inches long, one inch thick and 1% inches high. A groove 11 along each side facilitated gripping the tool by the fingers.

It will be seen that the present invention has as its main purpose the provision of a manually operated trimming tool with which a workman may quickly and easily cut seams that snugly match in any firm but flexible material up to and including approximately 716 of an inch thickness. The cuts may be made in a straight line or along any predetermined curved or convoluted pat-h determined by the edge of the underlying piece to be matched. The underlying guiding member need not necessarily be another sheet of light material since it may be a straight edge or other patterned edge in metal or wood as may be available. It will be understood that this form of the invention is intended to be illustrative only and that the invention is not thereby to be limited, but may be altered or modified to other forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. In brief, the invent-ion includes all modifications and embodiments which fairly come within the scope of the following claim and the appropriate equivalents thereof.

What is claimed, is:

A tool for trimming and cutting an edge of an overlying layer of linoleum and similar sheet materials in alignment with a concealed guiding edge underlying the cut to be made, comprising:

(A) a rigid elongated body member having a lower guiding surface at one end and an undercut portion at the other end to overlie the plane of said guiding surface in a plane spaced thereabove a distance greater than the thickness of the layer to be cut;

(B) means secured to said undercut pontion providing a knife edge depending from said body, normal to the main axis thereof, below said undercut portion;

(C) a resilient feeler blade secured at one end to said body member above said guiding surface and extending to underlying spaced apart relation to the lower extremity of said knife edge;

(D) guide 'means depending from the lower side of said feeler blade and having a guide surface coincident with said knife edge to be guided by said concealed guiding edge;

(E) said feeler blade resilience enabling said body member pressed thereto to cause said knife edge to sufficiently penetrate said overlying layer that upon guided movement of said body member and blade said overlying layer is cut to match said guiding edge.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 427,461 5/ 1890 Comstock 30-293 1,993,132 3/1935 Cathcard. 2,287,601 6/ 1942 Callaghan. 2,557,699 6/ 1951 Silver. 2,601,183 6/ 1952 Unsinger 30-293 2,870,539 1/ 1959 Za'ccone.

FOREIGN PATENTS 137,031 12/ 1902 Germany.

20 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

JAMES L. I ONES, JR., Examiner. 

